- assembly process
- A production process in which the basic inputs are either combined to create the output or transformed into the output.
- bill of material
- A list of the items and the number of each required to make a given product.
- blockchain technology
- Refers to a decentralized “public ledger” of all transactions that have ever been executed. It is constantly expanding, as “completed” blocks are added to the ledger with each new transaction.
- business process management (BPM)
- A unified system that has the power to integrate and optimize a company’s sprawling functions by automating much of what it does.
- CAD/CAM systems
- Linked computer systems that combine the advantages of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. The system helps design the product, control the flow of resources needed to produce the product, and operate the production process.
- cellular manufacturing
- Production technique that uses small, self-contained production units, each performing all or most of the tasks necessary to complete a manufacturing order.
- computer-aided design (CAD)
- The use of computers to design and test new products and modify existing ones.
- computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
- The use of computers to develop and control the production process.
- computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)
- The combination of computerized manufacturing processes (such as robots and flexible manufacturing systems) with other computerized systems that control design, inventory, production, and purchasing.
- continuous improvement
- A commitment to constantly seek better ways of doing things in order to achieve greater efficiency and improve quality.
- continuous process
- A production process that uses long production runs lasting days, weeks, or months without equipment shutdowns; generally used for high-volume, low-variety products with standardized parts.
- critical path
- In a critical path method network, the longest path through the linked activities.
- critical path method (CPM)
- A scheduling tool that enables a manager to determine the critical path of activities for a project—the activities that will cause the entire project to fall behind schedule if they are not completed on time.
- customization
- The production of goods or services one at a time according to the specific needs or wants of individual customers.
- e-procurement
- The process of purchasing supplies and materials online using the internet.
- electronic data interchange (EDI)
- The electronic exchange of information between two trading partners.
- enterprise resource planning (ERP)
- A computerized resource-planning system that incorporates information about the firm’s suppliers and customers with its internally generated data.
- fixed-position layout
- A facility arrangement in which the product stays in one place and workers and machinery move to it as needed.
- flexible manufacturing system (FMS)
- A system that combines automated workstations with computer-controlled transportation devices—automatic guided vehicles (AGV)—that move materials between workstations and into and out of the system.
- Gantt charts
- Bar graphs plotted on a time line that show the relationship between scheduled and actual production.
- intermittent process
- A production process that uses short production runs to make batches of different products; generally used for low-volume, high-variety products.
- inventory
- The supply of goods that a firm holds for use in production or for sale to customers.
- inventory management
- The determination of how much of each type of inventory a firm will keep on hand and the ordering, receiving, storing, and tracking of inventory.
- ISO 14000
- A set of technical standards designed by the International Organization for Standardization to promote clean production processes to protect the environment.
- ISO 9000
- A set of five technical standards of quality management created by the International Organization for Standardization to provide a uniform way of determining whether manufacturing plants and service organizations conform to sound quality procedures.
- job shop
- A manufacturing firm that produces goods in response to customer orders.
- just-in-time (JIT)
- A system in which materials arrive exactly when they are needed for production, rather than being stored on-site.
- lean manufacturing
- Streamlining production by eliminating steps in the production process that do not add benefits that customers want.
- make-or-buy decision
- The determination by a firm of whether to make its own production materials or to buy them from outside sources.
- Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
- An award given to recognize U.S. companies that offer goods and services of world-class quality; established by Congress in 1987 and named for a former secretary of commerce.
- manufacturing resource planning II (MRPII)
- A complex computerized system that integrates data from many departments to allow managers to more accurately forecast and assess the impact of production plans on profitability.
- mass customization
- A manufacturing process in which goods are mass-produced up to a point and then custom-tailored to the needs or desires of individual customers.
- mass production
- The manufacture of many identical goods at once.
- materials requirement planning (MRP)
- A computerized system of controlling the flow of resources and inventory. A master schedule is used to ensure that the materials, labor, and equipment needed for production are at the right places in the right amounts at the right times.
- operations management
- Management of the production process.
- outsourcing
- The purchase of items from an outside source rather than making them internally.
- perpetual inventory
- A continuously updated list of inventory levels, orders, sales, and receipts.
- process layout
- A facility arrangement in which work flows according to the production process. All workers performing similar tasks are grouped together, and products pass from one workstation to another.
- process manufacturing
- A production process in which the basic input is broken down into one or more outputs (products).
- product (or assembly-line) layout
- A facility arrangement in which workstations or departments are arranged in a line with products moving along the line.
- production
- The creation of products and services by turning inputs, such as natural resources, raw materials, human resources, and capital, into outputs, which are products and services.
- production planning
- The aspect of operations management in which the firm considers the competitive environment and its own strategic goals in an effort to find the best production methods.
- production process
- The way a good or service is created.
- program evaluation and review technique (PERT)
- A scheduling tool that is similar to the CPM method but assigns three time estimates for each activity (optimistic, most probable, and pessimistic); allows managers to anticipate delays and potential problems and schedule accordingly.
- purchasing
- The process of buying production inputs from various sources; also called procurement.
- quality
- Goods and services that meet customer expectations by providing reliable performance.
- quality control
- The process of creating quality standards, producing goods that meet them, and measuring finished goods and services against them.
- robotics
- The technology involved in designing, constructing, and operating computer-controlled machines that can perform tasks independently.
- routing
- The aspect of production control that involves setting out the work flow—the sequence of machines and operations through which the product or service progresses from start to finish.
- scheduling
- The aspect of production control that involves specifying and controlling the time required for each step in the production process.
- Six Sigma
- A quality-control process that relies on defining what needs to be done to ensure quality, measuring and analyzing production results statistically, and finding ways to improve and control quality.
- supply chain
- The entire sequence of securing inputs, producing goods, and delivering goods to customers.
- supply-chain management
- The process of smoothing transitions along the supply chain so that the firm can satisfy its customers with quality products and services; focuses on developing tight bonds with suppliers.
- Total Quality Management (TQM)
- The use of quality principles in all aspects of a company’s production and operations.
- value-stream mapping
- Routing technique that uses simple icons to visually represent the flow of materials and information from suppliers through the factory to customers.